U.S. Visitor Visa Appointment Wait Times Soar to 706 Days in Some Locations

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs has released its latest update on visa appointment wait times, revealing significant disparities in wait times across global locations for U.S. visitor visas (B1/B2). While some embassies offer appointments within a day, others are experiencing delays of up to 706 days.

In stark contrast to the lengthy waits, embassies in Brussels, Dhahran, Durban, Managua, Vilnius, and Riyadh report exceptionally short wait times of just one day. These locations offer appointments almost immediately for applicants seeking visitor visas.

However, several locations are experiencing extensive delays. Bogota, Colombia, tops the list with a wait time of a staggering 706 days for visitor visa interviews. Istanbul follows closely behind at 692 days, while Canadian cities such as Vancouver and Quebec face waits of 667 and 647 days, respectively. Other notable locations with long wait times include Ottawa (459 days), Tegucigalpa (458 days), and Lagos (332 days).

In South Asia, applicants in Kathmandu face a 275-day wait, while major Indian cities like New Delhi and Mumbai are experiencing delays of 435 and 430 days, respectively. These extended wait times often result from high application volumes and limited staffing at the respective embassies.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs notes that these wait times are estimates based on actual workload and staffing, and can change weekly. They also emphasize that embassies and consulates may have separate processes for visa cases where in-person interviews are waived, potentially offering shorter wait times.

Applicants are advised to check individual embassy or consulate websites for the most up-to-date information, especially regarding interview waiver eligibility and nonresident wait times if applying from a location different from their place of residence.